The Constitutional Reform Commission is considering new approaches to stimulate greater public participation in the reform process, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said on Friday.
He said the commission had called for written submissions and planned its public engagement around them, but the response has been low. The commission has received only six submissions since issuing a public advisory several months ago, and the submissions received so far have raised concerns about their relevance to the constitutional reform process. The advisory provided until December for members of the public to submit their views, and the submission period remains open until then.
The body is prepared to commence wider public consultations. The limited response has prompted consideration of whether the requirement for written submissions should remain a prerequisite before the commission proceeds to broader consultations. Nandlall said they may have to find another mechanism to excite public interest or reconsider whether written submissions should be a condition precedent to public consultation.
Nandlall, who is a member of the commission, said it is not proceeding at the pace they would have liked. He said the matter will be raised for discussion at the commission’s next meeting, where members will determine the way forward.
The commission’s efforts form part of a broader national process aimed at examining Guyana’s constitutional framework and identifying areas for reform. The commission is expected to assess the level of public participation and determine how best to encourage citizens and stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the process.
